Stephen eeed



REED. Pence-Post.

Patented April 20, 1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN REED, OF AUSTINTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO REUBEN GILBERT, OF SAME PLACE.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEPHEN REED, of Austintown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is an end view, and Fig. 3 is a plan or top view.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention has relation to fence-posts and it consists in the improvement hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, A is a wooden post, into the lower end of which is inserted an iron rod, B, of suitable length and preferably pointed at its end. Pivoted about midway upon post A, at a, is an arm, O, in the other end of which is hinged a pointed rod, D, somewhat shorter than the rigid rod B. Post A has a series of grooves or notches, d d, on one side a little narrower in width than the hinged rod D, so

that this red may be wedged into any one of the said grooves, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

I am aware that fence-posts have been made before having a rigid brace, and the post and 3 5 brace both provided with pointed rods to facilitate their insertion into the ground and dis- Patent No. 226,790, dated April 20, 1880.

February 18, 1880.

pense with the labor of digging post-holes; but such posts can be used only with advantage on level ground, and not upon an inclined plane, such as a hill-side.

By pivoting the arm or brace 0 upon the post in the manner described it may be adjusted upon either side of the post, according to the elevation of the ground, and where this is of a rocky or stumpy character, making it difficult to adjust both rods B and D in their proper relative position, rod Drnay be turned up and its end wedged into one of the grooves in post A, in which position it will brace arm O, which may be so adjusted as to abut upon a rock, stump, or upon the ground. The hinged rod D, when inserted into the ground, should be anchored by stones or blocks E E, to prevent it from working loose in the soil surrounding it.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- The improved fence-post herein shown and described, composed of the post or standard A, having rigid rod B and grooves dd, and the hinged brace O, provided with the hinged stake-rod D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as 6.5 my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN REED.

WVitnesses:

J AMES H. MANDEVILLE, BYRON P. TURNER. 

